Albert J. The Untamed Chef

Thumbtack customerOct 2026

We had a 40th birthday girls weekend planned with a private chef who got sick. With only 24 hours notice, we found and hired Chef Albert who immediately agreed, prepared a menu, and gave us a 5 star birthday experience! They put some extra pizazz in showmanship, prepared a delicious meal with dietary constraints, and left the kitchen very clean. Small portions but high quality ingredients, great tasting, and prepared in a fun and eventful way, including liquid nitrogen and blind tasting! So fun, and enjoyed by all! We highly recommend him for a fun filled dinner night!

Georgia L.Oct 2025

Albert was amazing to deal with from the start — responded quickly, was flexible, and even brought a sous chef with him night of. He was able to deliver an absolutely incredible 10 course meal for my boyfriend’s 35th birthday for just the two of us. He went above and beyond preparing the menu and explaining how each dish was prepared. He even added extra touches (like dry ice with super cool effects) that made each dish an experience that we will remember forever. Thank you so much, Alberto!

Natalie F.Aug 2025

The Untamed Chef was phenomenal! The flavors, the quality, and the amazing dishes- just blew us away! It wasn’t just a meal- it was an entire fabulous dining experience! Highly recommend Albert for your catering needs. The food smelled so delicious- we even got a bear to join us. No one can resist the aromas or the spectacular tastes….

Ed N.May 2025

Great experience with Chef Albert! His food is amazing and he created the most enjoyable evening.

Jen P.May 2025

He’s incredible!!!!! Our guests raved all night and are still raving about every single thing he cooked. And! He was fun and funny and kind and just into our party. We absolutely recommend him and will hire him again.

LINSEY B.Apr 2025

Chef Albert travelled to share an amazing experience with us in Big Sur. The food was outstanding, every course was delicious and full of amazing flavours. He was able to cater for the omnivores and vegetarians. Chef was energetic and excited about the food which added to the experience. We highly recommend inviting Chef to share his food with you - we will definitely invite him to our home again.

Michelle C.Mar 2025

What a special night! I surprised my husband for his birthday with this epic dining experience produced by Chef Albert. We had not done a tasting menu together since becoming parents - it’s hard to carve out that time with a young one. So grateful to Chef Albert for providing this level of service and food from the comfort of our home. We were able to relax and enjoy. We’ll definitely work with you, again!

Madison W.Mar 2025

My sister and I contacted Chef Albert to cook a special meal for our 30th birthday! He responded within a half hour of my inquiry and had a sample menu over that night (based on a few suggestions I sent). His passion and expertise were obvious through the phone which made me even more excited for our event! The meal absolutely exceeded my expectations and every detail was so thought out and perfectly executed. Every course was wiped clean by our group and left us wanting more. Aside from the food, I very much enjoyed the experience that Chef Albert created! I will never forget this special meal with my family. Looking forward to working with him again :)

Jacq A.Jan 2025

We hired Chef AJ for our rehearsal dinner. Communication leading up to our event was great. He was always quick to respond and accommodate. After our initial conversation he came up with the menu which we stuck with and it did not disappoint. Everything was full of flavor and delicious! It's hard to choose a favorite dish. He even included an additional dessert which was to die for. I would definitely hire him again in the future.

Bella s.Jan 2025

If you are a foodie or are looking for a special, high end meal, I cannot recommend Chef Albert more. He helped me coordinate a combo tortilla cooking class and 5 course surprise dinner for my partner’s birthday. The food was smoky and spicy - exactly the way we enjoy food. Im still thinking about the paella he made for us. He was engaging, was happy to discuss how the food was made, and wonderfully candid. He knows his craft, how to hustle, and how to make his guests feel special. We look forward to working with Chef Albert again!

Randy T.Jan 2025

What an incredible evening of amazing food and world class entertainment! Chef Albert more than delivered on his promise of Michelin star beating food and experience. The 12 of us celebrating my wife’s 60th birthday will never forget the experience. Nine courses of amazing food from all over the world paired with lots of wine made for a truly memorable experience. Chef Albert delivers more than just good food, he creates an experience. Thank you Chef for making our celebration such a success!

Dana D.Mar 2021

Our experience with Chef Albert can be summed up with one word - AMAZING!!! I contacted 4 catering companies for my nephews wedding and he called me within 10 minutes! Not one of the other companies called me back. The rest of our experience was just as seamless - great communication, incredible menu offerings, flexible about special requests, and he was right on time arriving, preparing and serving!!! Most importantly his food was absolutely delicious and prepared fresh on-sight. Everything was cooked to perfection - a wonderful addition to a wonderful day. I appreciate that when he left my home - it was as if he had never been there - except that we were still basking in the awesome culinary experience. We also felt his pricing was very fair - a great value. I gave Chef Albert 5 stars but if I could I would give him 10!!! He comes highly recommended across the board.

Ivette C.Dec 2020

All I can say is... WOW!! We hired chef Albert for my 30th birthday and I could not have made a better choice. The food was delicious, the presentation was great and their professionalism was exceptional. The untamed chef was able to accommodate a last minute request for a tres leches cake that was to die for! I will definitely hire him again in the future.

Charles A.Dec 2020

We had a party for Thanksgiving for almost 40 people there was not enough food for 20 people 1140 the food was cold I ordered a ham for $250 he gave me side meat had too much fat in it everybody complained about the fact he was supposed to make a berry cobbler all it was was berries there’s no cobbler cheesecake he made was not enough for 40 people barely enough for 15 the food was not served on time it was almost 7 o’clock before we got dessert I would not recommend him to anybody and I would never use him again This is an update and a rebottle for Albert the chef? That he posted about my first post first fine dining and I do like IHOP and Denny’s as most people do but I don’t consider them fine dining He never checked never said that he was the right chef for me I never asked him what the price was I told him don’t let money influence your your food that you’re going to be preparing he did not say there was only one plate per person TheSous chef look like he was 16 years old he was supposed to showing up at 12 o’clock originally they have five hours of cooking he showed up at 2:30 and try to get everything prepared by five It always were 24 adults and 12 children we only ended up with 20 adults and 10 children so he overcharged me for that I told him that was how many and I’ll show you the bill for those are included never I never told him to make smaller portions he said be enough food What food he served was cold he had no warming trays for it so all the food got cold the bread that he said with supreme bread Was store bought biscuits he was supposed prepare a ham he charged me $250 for a ham he gave me like a fat back it was 50% fat instead of slicing like I told him to do the ham he cut it in little squares the sweet potatoes had no taste to them they were half cooked the marshmallows that he said was homemade were liquid there was no berry cobbler it was not no cobbler all it it was just berries Chantilly cream was watery He never told the kids could only have one piece of cheese cake never told me that when we are doing the pricing The one cheesecake kuldip not serve 12 people let alone 36 he never came and talk to me outside where we. We’re eating other than to come out and take pictures of the food I never smiled at him I did not eat anything off my plate except taste it because it was that bad my daughter actually told my son that dad must not like a food he just pushed it back and it’s full nobody said his desserts were good The only reason Tiped him was for the effort not for the quality or quantity of the food because they were not good my daughter never call him she never said she would hire him There was not enough food we have because I paid him for 36 people 24 adults and 12 kids I would not recommend him to anybody his food was that bad I should’ve took everybody to Denny’s or IHOP for eight dollars a plate it would’ve been better I’ve ate at best Mitchell in five star restaurants in New York London San Francisco Paris chef Albert’s food does not even compare sorry to have to post this but it’s a response to his post where he a lied about everything

Hannah D.Sep 2020

I honestly don’t know where to begin with this review...Congratulations you just stumbled across theee Most Spectacular Chef! Chef Albert and his food were beyond phenomenal!!! The nicest person you will ever meet and OMG his food is to die for! Book him immediately because I promise you, you will NOT find better! Our guests could not stop talking about how excited they were for our menu Albert hand picked for us and how incredible it was once they had it! We had SO many people tell us it the best steak, chicken, ribs, mushroom risotto, crab and shrimp they’d ever had!! My new husband and I kept saying the mushroom risotto was our favorite and we don’t even like mushrooms...that delicious! We had a few guests who love to cook and grill that could not stop asking Albert questions because they were in awe! I won’t lie, we were eating the tres leches bread pudding and berry cobbler with chantilly cream for the next few days! I could eat a whole bowl of that chantilly cream! The amazing ingredients, his expertise and techniques, and his kindness were out of this world! And the price was crazy reasonable! My mom and mother in law kept saying how much they enjoyed talking to Albert during the planning. We 100% trusted him and let him do his thing and he absolutely killed it! Our rehearsal dinner venue was supposed to be in Carmel Valley, but because of the fires there was no power, water, or cell service and we didn’t find this out until we reached the venue. We called Albert super late the night before our rehearsal dinner saying there was no way we could have guests at this venue. It was no problem for him whatsoever! Chef Albert and his son Adam were so incredibly flexible and accommodating with us! We ended up having the rehearsal dinner and wedding at the same venue and had Chef Albert and his son Adam stay with us for the weekend and cook for us both nights! They were so fun to get to know, I know we kept them up extremely late after the rehearsal dinner because everyone kept coming into the kitchen to talk to them and then never leaving! Saturday during the day everyone was going to make lunch before getting ready for the wedding, and Albert offered to make everyone these delicious blt’s off the grill! In every way, he didn’t hesitate to go above and beyond and make this the most magical weekend for my new husband and I! Our family and friends could not stop raving about them, they are an honorary part of our family now. I know any future weddings our families will not hesitate to fly Albert and Adam in, we know we won’t find better!

Jacob K.May 2020

When I was looking through chefs' reviews on Thumbtack to find one for my wife's birthday surprise Zoom "party", I didn't realize at the time that I was looking EXACTLY for Chef Albert. I needed a chef that came to our Airbnb safely (due to COVID-19 concerns) and prepare a meal for just my wife and me that was good enough to replace the experiences and travels we would have had if COVID-19 didn't derail our plans for my wife's 30th birthday. His whole experience was truly incredible and seamless in every way. First of all, the flavors of his food were insanely good! Right up there with the best I've ever had (so odd to say without the deceptive ambiance of a perfectly designed restaurant!). He customized a menu based off of my wife's favorite cuisine, Mexican & Mexican-fusion. He created 8 courses for the dinner, and everything was exceptional-- Every bite was special and memorable! Truly, I don't see how anyone could go wrong with Chef Albert. Just talk to him, and he'll come up with a menu and give you the details you need to know! He was a pleasure to work with from the very beginning. He has a great mix of confidence in his flavors/presentation, clarity about his product/pricing, and upmost respect for whatever I needed. We WILL hire him again in the future!

John s.Apr 2020

If I could give higher than 5 stars, I would. What an experience. Chef Albert came to our home to perform cooking classes for my wife. We communicated throughout the whole process. He is very professional and has a extremely positive attitude. He is very knowledgeable and taught my wife and I some very profound techniques and skills to elevate our food. I highly recommend Chef Albert for any of your culinary needs, you’re not gonna find anyone better!

Kris R.Feb 2020

I felt very comfortable with chef Albert. His food is absolutely amazing!

Frederick A.Dec 2019

We had the most amazing experience with Albert! He prepared for us a 5 course meal experience with 5 delicious dishes…our expectations were absolutely blown out of the water. He showed up with ALL of the ingredients, all of the materials, everything. We requested plant based, and the dishes were out of this world. The seared tofu with teriyaki glaze was our favorite- but everything was mouth waveringly delicious. We made delicious glazes, vinaigrettes, compotes…. He walked us step by step through everything so we were able to be a part of the process ourselves. The food was 5 star quality, and probably the most beautiful dishes we have ever seen prepared. We got to help with cooking, prep work, and plating of the food- he showed us how to make it beautiful. The instruction was entertaining and informative, and 100% hands on experience. Our kitchen was completely clean when he left. It was SO much fun, Albert is awesome and we highly recommend him. It was absolutely a one of a kind, priceless experience.

Nancy G.Dec 2019

So many great things to say. From the beginning I knew the private chef experience at our wedding would be epic. All the food was prepared prior to, but cooked on site and it was amazing. My father-in-law who travels and is quite the foodie said the lime shrimp was the best he ever had. He must have told me a dozen times how impressed he was with the food and Chef Albert. The Mac and cheese was a hit with the kids. My Dad had 5 servings of the salad it was so good. I had the most tender and juicy chicken ever and the beef roast was amazing and tender as well and I loved the roasted veggies. Everything was so good. Not one complaint here. I hope to find another reason to hire him!